Cigarette ejector holder



y 5, 55 A. SILVERMAN CIGARETTE EJECTOR HOLDER Filed Aug. 16, 1948 INVENTOR ARNOLD SILVERMAN li/Wa ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 2,712,316 CIGARETTE EEECTOR HOLDER Arnold Siiverrnan, New York, N. Y. Application August 16, 1948, Serial No. 44,558 flaims. (Cl. 131-182) This invention relates to cigarette holders and, more particularly, of the type having an ejector for facilitating the removal of the cigarette butt from the holder.

The object of the invention is to provide a holder which has means for gripping t e inserted end of a cigarette in a firm and positive manner without unnecessarily compressing or piercing the cigarette or adversely affecting its smoking qualities. This positive grip is achieved by a plurality of split elements which are caused by movement, to engage the inserted portion of the cigarette paper within these elements which, in the engaged position, form a cylindrical bore with an inside diameter such as to maintain substantially the periphery of the cigarette and, at the same time, these said elements in engaging position, will engage the outer Cigarette holders have been proposed heretofore which involve various types of gripping members that either compress, pierce, or otherwise hold the cigarette. But none of these combines with such engaging grip upon the inserted end portion, the improved plurality of split panying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevation view of the improved holder in cigarette holding position;

Fig. 2 is a section (on a scale enlarged over that of Fig. 1) of the forward operative portion of the holder;

ping split elements at the end of the holder and through the cigarette held therein, taken on-a somewhat larger scale, on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in butt-ejecting position.

The improved cigarette holder of this invention, shown complete in Fig. 1, comprises a mouthpiece or bit 9 (which may, if desired, be implemented with a filter) Lil the bit 9. by the compression of spring 6 between the an nular shoulder 26 and the forward end of the reduced portion 5 of the bit 9. To limit its forward movement, the partially split tube 20 has an inner annular shoulder 26 which is abuttable,

is positioned forwardly against of ejector pin It). The aforesaid helical spring 6 is inter- Said slitting cuts 29 extend rearwardly from the forward end of the tube to a point at the rear of the annular shoulder 26. Said slits may stop at the annular shoulder or, they may continue through and divide. theannular shoulder as shown in Fig. 2. This is entirely optional and depends upon the choice of materials used in construction, what operative resistance is desired, and other factors.

Partially split tube 20 is fabricated of resilient material in a manner to cause he forward elements or fingers 28 tube, also up to stop 4 of bit 9, all as shown in Fig. 4, no restraint is imposed on the elements or fingers 28 and they expand in a radially outward direction so that a series of predetermined open spaces are developed between the elements or fingers 28.

- Slidable sleeve 30 may have one or more rings 31 or the forward (rightward, Figs. 1, 2, 3) end of the elements 28 have enlargements 27 which are abutted by the forward end of sleeve 30, as in Fig. 2. The left or rear end 24 of partially split tube 20 has an annular rib or flange which is abutted by the corresponding or left end of the slidable sleeve 30, to limit movement in this direction.

The improved holder is prepared for reception of a cigarette by moving the slidable sleeve leftwardly, toward and back to stop 24, said movement freeing the multisplit elements so that they may spring outwardly, as in Fig. 4, and present a flared opening into which the end of the cigarette may be freely inserted. The extent of insertion of the cigarette is predetermined by the abutment of the end of the cigarette with the ejector head 16. It should be noted that when the slidable sleeve 30 is in this retracted position to abut 24, the expansive movement of the split spring elements 28 produces two results:

(a) The inside diameter of the split portion of tube It) is enlarged so that a cigarette may be easily inserted therein, and i (b) The spaces 29x of Fig. 4, between the spring elements are now at their predetermined maximum.

When the slidable sleeve 36 is advanced rightwardly to abut the steps 27, as in Fig. 2, the multi-split elements 28 are brought to their restrained position in which they approach one another to form a cylindrical encirclement about the inserted portion of the cigarette, Figs. 2 and 3. Additionally, and particularly the elements or fingers 2B in approaching one another reduce the spaces between them from that shown at 29x (Fig. 4) in open, flaredout position to that shown at 29 (Fig. 2, and Fig. 3) in closed, restrained, cylindrical position. This closing movement of the elements generally crimps the cigarette paper at a, Fig. '5, between the co-operative edges of the fingers as the true periphery of the cigarette is slightly reduced to allow for the forming of distinct multi-folds or crimps therein, as at b, Fig. 3.

The engagement of these crimped portions of the cigarctte paper between these split elements 28 results in a positive grip upon the cigarette paper making the cigarette captive in the cigarette holder, all as herein and previously pointed out.

To eject the cigarette or the smoked butt, the slidable ember 39 is moved leftwardly, Fig. 4, to cause its left end to abut left flange 24 of the partially split tube this movement of sleeve 30 sets free the split elements 28 which spring outwardly, Fig. 4. Continued leftward movement of slidable sleeve 3% draws the partially split tube with said sleeve until it is stopped by the abutment 4, but not the cigarette itself, because of the cigarettes abutment, as aforesaid, with ejector head 16. The result is such that the elements 28 first act to release the cigarette paper by the opening up of the crimping elements, said elements then being withdrawn leftwardly in their entirety from the cigarette butt which is progressively freed and ejected. This leftward movement of the parts is limited by said abutment of flange 24 of the partially split tube 2% with shoulder 4- of the bit 9, as shown in Fig. 4. As a result of this leftward movement, spring 6 is compressed, see Fig. 4, so that upon release of the slidable sleeve 30, the partially split tube 2 together with sleeve 30 occupying the annular solid portion 25 thereof, will be returned to their normal positions, ready to receive another cigarette as described above.

it will be observed that the split elements or fingers 28 spring or flare outwardly due to their inherent resilicncy, so that the sleeve 30 operates on the outer surface of the elements to cause them to approach one another to form a cylindrical encirclement.

I claim:

1. in a holder for cigarettes, in combination, a bit having a reduced forward end portion, an ejector pin of less diameter than said reduced portion, secured to the bit and having an enlarged head at its forward end, a tube slidably mounted on said reduced portion of the bit and having its forward end portion longitudinally slit into a plurality of elements and provided with an internal shoulder disposed between said enlarged head of the ejector pin and said bit so that said tube is slidably secured in place, a sleeve slidable on said tube, the split portions of the split tube having flared end enlargements to limit the movement of said sleeve, said tube being fabricated of resilient material and formed so that when said sleeve is moved to free said elements, said elements flare outwardly to freely receive the end portion of a cigarette and to provide predeterminedly maximum spaces between their edges; movement of said sleeve toward the split end causing the elements to approach one another to encircle said cigarette portion and causing the cigarette paper caught in said predeterminedly maximum spaces to be crimped thereby to positively grip the cigarette; movement of said sleeve toward said bit causing the tube to move in the direction of said bit, the cigarette being prevented from following by said ejector pin, whereby the said outwardly flared elements are withdrawn from said cigarette portion to free the cigarette, and a compression helical spring disposed between the end of said bit and said internal shoulder of the tube for returning the tube in position for receiving a cigarette, movements of said tube being limited by said compression spring against one end of said reduced portion and said enlarged head of the ejector tube.

2. In a holder for cigarettes, in combination, a bit having a forward reduced portion terminating in an ejector head, a tube slidably mounted for limited movement on said reduced portion and having its forward end portion longitudinally split into a plurality of elements, a sleeve slidably mounted for limited movement on said split tube, said split tube being fabricated of resilient material and formed so that when said sleeve is moved toward said bit to free said elements, said elements flare outwardly to freely receive the end portion of a cigarette and to provide predeterminedly maximum spaces between their edges; movement of said sleeve toward the split end causing the elements to approach one another to encircle said cigarette portion and causing the cigarette paper caught in said predeterminedly maximum spaces to be crimped thereby to positively grip the cigarette further movement of said sleeve moving the split tube in the direction of said bit, the cigarette being prevented from following by said eiector head, whereby the outwardly flared elements are withdrawn from said cigarette portion to free the cigarette, and a compression helical spring disposed in said reduced portion for returning the split tube forwardly in position for receiving a cigarette.

3. In a holder for cigarettes, in combination, a bit having a forward reduced portion terminating in an ejector head, a tube slidably mounted for limited movement on said reduced portion and having its forward portion longitudinally split into a plurality of elements, a sleeve slidably mounted for limited movement on said split tube, said split tube being fabricated of resilient material and formed so that when said sleeve is moved toward said bit to free sa'd elements, said elements flare outwardly to freely receive the end portion of a cigarette and to provide predeterminedly maximum spaces between their edges; movement of sleeve toward the split end causing the elements to approach one another to encircle said cigarette portion and causing the cigarette paper caught in said predeterminedly maximum spaces to be crimped thereby to positively grip the cigarette further movement of said sleeve moving the split tube in the direction of said bit, the cigarette being prevented from following by said ejector head, whereby the outwardly flared elements are withdrawn from said cigarette portion to free the cigarette.

4. In a holder for cigarettes, in combination, a bit, a split tube slidably mounted for limited movement on said bit and having a plurality of spring elements at its forward end portion, a sleeve slidably mounted for limited movement on said split tube, said sleeve being operative to move said tube toward said bit for moving said elements outwardly to freely receive the end portion of a cigarette and to provide predeterminedly maximum spaces between their edges; movement of said sleeve towards the forward end on the tube causing the said elements to approach one another to cause the cigarette paper caught in said spaces to be crimped thereby to positively grip the cigarette.

5. In a cigarette holder of the type including a mouth- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS tube having at its forward end a plurality of spaced 1,447,664 Honmgsworth 6, 1923 fingers, and a sleeve slidably mounted on said cigarette 5 1,490,885 i P 1924 holder extension, said holder extension being of resilient 1:613545 Te1gen June 1927 material and arranged in one position with the fingers 2:228951 Franklm 1941 flared outwardly to provide slots therebetween, and in 2,337,925 Pomerantz 1943 another position with its fingers in parallel spaced rela- 250L951 Hutton P 1950 tion, said sleeve when moved toward its forward end on 10 FOREIGN PATENTS said holder causing said spring fingers to approach one another, to crimp and grip portions of the wrapper of a 155152 Great Bntam D 1920 cigarette positioned in the cigarette holder extension. 18939:; Great Bntam 1922 

